Back To The Band
by ThePhantomsRedRose
Summary: A chorus girl is the last hope for the trombone section.With Old Pear Creek getting gold medal for 2005 will they be as lucky with 20 people missing from the band? Will Lydia get the chance to be drum major? Or will love distract her?
1. Seasons of Change

Authors Note: Hi…Thephantomsredrose here! I have no beta for this story. I am piecing a few short works I have done about my band into this story adding my own little twists. I will try to update frequently but if you like the story please be sure to review. I do not own Rent, Son of a Witch, The Jazz All State Piece, Or most of anything else.

Lydia Maybrooks ran down to the band room as soon as the lunch bell rang. She opened the door and felt a familiar rush of happiness. She heard from the Piano Lab the sounds of her friend Joe on the piano. She went to take her normal first soprano seat. When he had finished playing; She asked what the song was from. " I wrote it," Joe said. Joe's talent has always astounded Lydia.

"How is the studding for the chorus final going. Us seniors only have to write what we liked about the class," Joe said.

"Well, It's just chorus and I already know all this theory stuff," She said as she pulled out a turkey sandwich.

"And how is your trip to Europe coming? Are you all packed?" He asked

"Yeah I am, And I finally got my music for the concerts we will perform," She said.

Lydia was going on the USA European Concert Tour over the summer. She was going for vocal music, and could not wait to go. She was fourteen making her the youngest freshman on the trip. She had gotten in after an outstanding District festival audition.

This was the last day for the seniors. A few of the sophomores poured into the room as well as Lydia's friend Katie. The room took a somber tone as the band seniors reflected on their high school years and shared there secrets with those they found worthy. A few things of theirs were left behind as a lasting impression on the band room for the worthy to find. She could live without all the other seniors but not the band seniors. They were like a second family, and it was heart wrenching to see them leave that day.

"Lydia?" Asked the Band Director Mr. Manning

"Yeah," she replied hoping this was what she was waiting for.

"Do you still want to join Marching Band, because we only have one Trombone. Karina is going back to flute for marching and Dylan is going over to Euphonium. I can teach you sometime next week to get back to the Basics of Trombone," Said Mr. Manning.

"Hopefully I can pick it back up again. Its been a few years but I am more than happy to work with the group of people I live with, but I don't think I will be ready for this season," Lydia sighed.

" I think you could be, but we will start off slow. I know you are going to Europe so you will not have much time. If you don't feel comfortable with this season then we will get you signed up for concert band next year," He explained.

Old Pear Creek was a small town and had an even smaller school that prided itself on its gold medal band. However, the graduating class of 2006 was about 20 out of the 60 band members The Fall Season would be with a small group of around 40 because the upcoming freshmen were already in the band

The next week there were subs or lack-there-of in almost all of Lydia's classes so naturally Lydia asked the Freshman Science sub if she could go work on a "project" in the band room. She had worked out all the details. She even had a copy of the Jazz All States piece to show him. She signed a pass went to the band room. Mr. Manning had gone white water rafting with the seniors on their trip so the band room was unsupervised. There she found next falls drum major Mandy and her close friend Katie. The three of them watched Blast while talking about how great it would be to have 22 tubas.

Lydia had finals on her last week of school and was supposed to be learning trombone. She went to school at 9:30 and took her English final, which only took her 25 minutes to complete. However, the school rules were that everyone had to sit their final for at least an Hour.

Lydia picked up the book she had been reading for the third time; Gregory McGuire's "Son of a Witch." The time was passing by slowly; each movement of the second hand was staggered and unforgiving. She could not wait to re-learn the trombone.

As soon as it was 10:30, she zipped out of the English room. She got to the band room in a minute because the school was so small. A girl named Summer was organizing music from the year, putting the copies of "Rent" that had been played at graduation together on music stands.

Lydia looked over to see Mr. Manning still working with a student on their Piano I final. While she was waiting, she listened to her brand new IPod. Of course she only had it for two days and she already had 417 Broadway songs, 100 of these were from Rent. When Mr. Manning was finally done giving his exam he handed some music to the "foreign" band members (the ones from other schools) and then pulled out two chairs into the empty band room

"Let me go get my weapon," Mr. Manning said. He came out with his prized trombone. Lydia sat down in an orange chair and he said "Lets start with the basics," He began the lesson.

Apparently, the basics were blowing into the mouthpiece. Lydia was able to produce the Donald Duck like sound quite well. Then they began reading some easy stuff out of a Trombone book she had since 5th grade. Lydia was so happy that she was actually able to produce music. Mr. Manning had her put the mouthpiece back in the trombone and try to match his pitch. She did very well after about a half an hour of her lips aching she was dismissed and told to come back the next day after finals.

Lydia got home and threw a white sundress on. She had to go down to the Old Pear Creek square for some European publicity. She would be singing at the opening of a family friend's bathing suit store, as Old Pear Creek was a coastal city. When she was done with this, she went home to see this opening on her TV screen. However, all that really mattered was that she could make music come out of the trombone.


	2. Day 1 GDA

Authors Note: I do not own Dummer Academy… It is a great New England Bording School where we stayed on our tour. I promise there will be some band things in the Europe part after all we toured with a wind ensemble and orchestra.

Lydia got out of the silver 1985 BMW she heard the engine turn off and her mom stepped out of the car. Cynthia Maybrooks was the best mother a girl could have. She shared fashion, hair and make up with Lydia.

Lydia and Cynthia walked up the cobbled paths to the Arts building of Governor Dummer academy. As Lydia pushed open the door she felt her stomach drop to her knees. They walked over to the sign in desk where Lydia saw a girl talking with what looked like a guy of Puerto Rican descent. This guy would later become her best friend. They departed and Lydia stepped forward to receive some info packets and her room key. They left quietly to the Ingraham dorms.

Lydia had three red suitcases and a purse. Her mom grabbed the big one and she grabbed the three smaller bags. She walked to room 118 and unlocked the door. She put her luggage in the closet and grabbed her chorus folder out of the small suitcase. She heard voices in the hallway. She poked her head out of the doorway to see another girl and her family standing there. The girl was blonde and extremely tall due to stiletto heals. She wore a skirt and a cute top. She introduced herself as Lauren Wilbur.

Lauren and her family had just recently moved to Maryland. " Have you done your voice check yet?" Lauren asked.

"No, I didn't realize we had to do one, Where is it?" She voiced with worry.

"It's above the auditorium in the choral room. I believe that a girl named Emily Katz still has not auditioned. She is really nice and does a good Jewish mother impression!" Lauren joked.

" Okay I will go do that and be off to lunch," Lydia said closing her door.

" Wait I'll come with you," Lauren said following.

They were walking down the street to the main part of campus as they went to cross the road they found a run over snake. Lauren screamed and Lydia continued walking. They went over the bridge, Crossing over to the main campus. Lauren left at the parking lot while Lydia and her mom continued to the chorale room.

Lydia meet up with Emily Katz and they went into their auditions together. Emily asked to sing a song for the tour that was a Hebrew text. Lydia discovered that her director Kay Wilder and Emily were Jewish and that they were pleased to sing this song in the concentration camp they would visit soon.

Lydia requested to sing Cantate Domino. She decided to ask Kay what her favorite piece was. As any director would do, Kay would not respond to the question out of diplomacy. Lydia went to go to a meeting with the nurse. This meeting lasted a very long time because of Lydia's diabetes, because of this she was late to chorale rehearsal.

She walked in and asked where the Soprano twos were sitting. Kay pointed to the other side of the room. Lydia sat down next to a girl named Annie Rice and a girl name Katie whose last name was never discovered. She was simply known as the girl with perfect pitch. Annie was sitting next to the bases. A guy named Andrew Zahares was sitting next to her. He would later become known to Lydia as Sister Mary-Andrew. To Andrew's left was another guy that would change Lydia's life forever.

To Lydia's horror, her mom and the nurse barged into rehearsal. "Hello everyone! My daughter Lydia is Diabetic," she said as she motioned over to Lydia.

"Basically if you see me passed out on the ground please get the nurse, that's all," Lydia remarked sarcastically as the rest of the chorale laughed.

"Could we borrow you again for one second Lydia?" Her mother asked.

Lydia went out to the hallway where she said goodbye to her mother. There were many tears and hugs as this trip would be Lydia's first time away from home. Lydia dried her eyes knowing that she had to go into the chorale room and sit back down.

They practiced all day until dinner. Lydia sat to eat with Lauren and Emily as well as a pair of best friends from Massachusetts named Karen and Tyler, and a girl named Jen. After dinner it was time for more rehearsals until ten thirty p.m. When Lydia got back to her dorm she was very exhausted she prepared all of her supplies for the morning set her IPod on her new European concert tour slide show and slid beneath the sheet and thin blanket of the bed and fell asleep.


End file.
